The FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 got underway in Belgium and the Netherlands on August 15, with 16 teams divided into four pools competing for a place in the knockout stages. The opening round has already produced an important result for India, who began their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Wales in Pool D.
India’s win puts them second in the Pool D standings, behind England on goal difference. England made an impressive start by defeating Pakistan 4-1. Both England and India have three points after one match, while Wales and Pakistan are yet to open their accounts.
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The Pool D standings will be particularly important ahead of the highly anticipated India-Pakistan clash on August 19. India currently have a goal difference of +2, while England sit at +3 following their convincing victory over Pakistan.
Pool D Points Table
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 3 |
| 2 | India | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 3 |
| 3 | Wales | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| 4 | Pakistan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 |
India’s opening victory was powered by a strong performance from captain Harmanpreet Singh, who scored twice as the team secured a positive start to its World Cup campaign. Wales managed to score once, but India maintained control to take all three points.
Pool C Points Table
Pool C is yet to begin its campaign. Australia, Spain, Ireland and South Africa are all currently on zero points, with no matches played.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Spain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Ireland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | South Africa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool B Points Table
Germany have made the strongest start in Pool B after recording a commanding 5-1 win over Malaysia. Belgium and France are yet to play their opening matches.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Germany | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 3 |
| 2 | Belgium | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | France | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Malaysia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
Pool A Points Table
Pool A is also yet to get underway. Hosts the Netherlands are grouped with Argentina, New Zealand and Japan.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Argentina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
With the tournament only beginning, the standings remain fluid. However, India’s opening win gives them an early advantage in Pool D. Their next match against Pakistan on August 19 could have a major bearing on the group’s final rankings and India’s route into the knockout stages.
